Prix d'Été (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

: Summer Classic) is a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

event for four-year-old

Standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing where they compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace its bloodline ...

pacers held annually in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, at Hippodrome 3R of Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

History

This event was held for the first time in 1966 under the name of ''Prix d'Automne'' (Autumn Classic) at the now defunct Blue Bonnets Raceway in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. Run over a distance of one mile on a 5/8 mile oval track, the race was open to pacers age four and older. A $50,000 purse made it the richest harness race at that time in

Canadian history The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to North America thousands of years ago to the present day. The lands encompassing present-day Canada have been inhabited for millennia by Indigenous peoples, with di ...

. In 1967 the race was renamed the ''L'Amble du Centenaire'' (Centennial Pace) in honor of Canada's 100th anniversary and made open to pacers age three and older. In 1968 it became the Prix d'Été and in 1971 was modified to a stake race for three-year-old pacers.

Cancellation and Revival

The Prix d'Été was one of the top

harness race Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia an ...

s in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

until 1992. The 1993 edition had to be cancelled due to a five-month

strike action Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike in British English, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to Working class, work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Str ...

by horsemen. Deemed as no longer viable, the owners decided to close the track but in 1995 a

municipal government A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

corporation, ''Le Société d'habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM)'', purchased the track and renamed it ''Hippodrome de Montréal''. Taken over and operated by the

provincial government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, o ...

agency ''SONACC (Société nationale du cheval de course)'', but eventually withdrew its support and placed their operating company under bankruptcy protection on October 13, 2009, and permanently closed the facility. The Prix d'Été was not held again until being revived in 2014 at Hippodrome 3R in

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

as a race for four-year-olds. With a purse of $500,000 in 2019, it became the most remunerative race in

for four-year-old pacers.Standardbred Canada, Retrieved September 11, 2019.
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Records

Most wins by a driver: * 2 - Keith Waples (1972, 1975) * 2 - Michel Lachance (1988, 1989) * 2 -

Yannick Gingras Yannick Gingras (born August 4, 1979) is a Canadian harness racing driver. He is statistically one of the top drivers of all time with more than 8,000 wins and $230 million in earnings. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2022. ...

(2014, 2016) Most wins by a trainer: * 6 –

Billy Haughton William Robert (Billy) Haughton (November 23, 1923 – July 15, 1986) was an American harness driver and trainer. He was one of only three drivers to win the Hambletonian four times, the only one to win the Little Brown Jug five times, and the ...

(1967, 1970, 1974) Stakes record: * 1:50 3/5 – Sunfire Blue Chip (2014) & All Bets Off (2015)

Prix d'Été winners

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prix d'Ete Recurring sporting events established in 1966 Harness races in Canada 1966 establishments in Quebec Sport in Montreal Sport in Trois-Rivières